Yogendra Yadav demands Jitendra Singh Tomar's resignation

New Delhi: Swaraj Abhiyaan, a group founded by expelled AAP leaders, today demanded the resignation of Jitendra Singh Tomar “pending inquiry” and claimed that if the Delhi Law Minister has a genuine defence then he should have put up his degree in the public domain.

Swaraj Abhiyaan leader Yogendra Yadav said if AAP had conducted an internal probe, as demanded by him and Prashant Bhushan, then the party would have avoided the “unnecessary controversy” of Tomar's arrest.

“The matter is hanging for the last four months. It is a simple issue of someone who holds constitutional post whose credentials are suspect. He needs to come clean on it. It is not be to give verdict on it. If the degree is genuine then why not put the entire information in public domain,” Yadav said.

He also accused AAP of indulging in blame game and hiding behind legal procedures.

“How long does it take to dig out one's degree? Why so much of confusion? If this was done by the Congress, BJP, SP or the BSP it was understandable but people expect something different from the AAP. We had asked the Lokpal to look into it. Had it been done this unnecessary controversy could have been avoided,” he said.

In a statement, Swaraj Abhiyaan later stressed that more than the technical or political aspects, the focus should be on the “core ethical questions.”

“The real issue is not whether Delhi Police is technically empowered to arrest the Minister. No one holding any office should be above law and demanding special privilege for a minister goes against the spirit of aam aadmi movement,” it said.

However, the group also accused the LG of acting as an “agent” of the central government and often as that of the ruling party at the Centre.

“This is true of the LG's role in the entire controversy about full statehood for Delhi. Clearly, the enthusiasm shown by Delhi Police in this matter is unusual and is not consistent with the position taken by the central government on many other similar cases, some involving their own ministers,” it added.